Solar Enery Focus
Solar Trough Plant To Cost $5-6M, Produce Electricity for 12 Cents/kWh

Arizona's first commercial solar trough power plant is expected to cost $5-6 million to build, Damon Gross, a spokesman for the electric utility APS, told SREO, noting that the company has contracted with Solargenix. APS March 24 broke ground on the plant, the First such facility constructed in the United States since 1988.

Located at the company's Saguaro Power Plant in Red Rock, AZ, the APS Saguaro Solar Trough Generating Station will have a I-megawatt generating capacity, enough to provide for the energy needs of approximately 200 average-size homes. The plant is expected to go online in April of next year.

Electricity from the facility is expected to be produced for about 12 cents per kilowatt-hour, Gross said. APS customers will not see a change in their bills, but they can voluntarily contribute under the APS Solar Partners program to support solar energy.

Solar-trough technology uses parabolic mirrors to concentrate the sun's rays to heat mineral oil between 250 degrees and 550 degrees. The fluid then is passed through a heat exchanger to vaporize a secondary working fluid. The vapor is used to spin a turbine, making electricity, then is condensed back into a liquid before being vaporized once again.

Historically, the significant capital cost associated with solar-trough technology did not lend itself to smaller applications, APS stated. "However, our solar trough system will combine the relatively low cost of parabolic solar trough thermal technology with the commercially available, smaller turbines usually associated with low-temperature geothermal generation plants."

The solar trough plant will help APS meet the goals of the Arizona Corporation Commission's environmental portfolio standard, which requires APS to generate 1.1% of its energy through renewable sources (60% through solar) by 2007.

Call APS at (602) 250-2269.


U.K. Energy Minister Announces Grant Awards for Solar Projects

United Kingdom Energy Minister Stephen Timms in March announced £2 million (US $3.685 million) in grant awards for investment in solar energy projects throughout the U.K.

This complements the recent award of £1.8 million (US $3.316 million) under the U.K. Department of Trade and Industry's Major Photovoltaic Demonstration Programme (MPDP).

Local councils, higher education , businesses, and housing are among those set to benefit from this latest round of government funding. The effort will apply to rnedium- to large-scale solar electric power installations under MPDP.

"Including [the most recent] announcement, we have awarded £13 million (US $23.952 million) worth of grants to 110 projects throughout the U.K.; further proof of our commitment to reach our renewable energy target of 10% by 2010," Timms said.

Among the projects is one involving the National Trust Headquarters' relocation to a building in central Swindon near the Great Western railway museum. An 83.4-kilowatt (peak) photovoltaic system consisting of Kaneka thin-film modules will be mounted on the saw tooth roof profile. Solar Century LTD will install the system.

Also, the Imperial War Museum in Duxford Airspace, Cambridgeshire, will be outfitted with a 215-kWp PV system. RWE Schott thin-film glass/glass modules will be used. The installer will be PV Facades. The amorphous-silicon PV system will be incorporated into the roof-lights and building envelope of the new building.

Access website www.solarpvgrants.co.uk.